Incandescent lights are still a popular form of lighting, particularly in residential premises. A typical incandescent light bulb, illustrated in FIG. 6, consists of a metallic base 2, usually threaded, and a contact 3 insulated from the base. A pair of lead-in wires 4 project from the base 2 and the contact 3, respectively, into a glass bulb 5 adhesively affixed to the base 2 which is either depressurized or less frequently filled with an inert gas. Usually the lead-in wires 4 project through a pinch 6 in the throat of the bulb, which helps to maintain the orientation of the lead-in wires 4 and provide an airtight seal at their point of entry into the bulb 5. A filament 7 extends between the lead-in wires, and when an electric current is applied through the filament it glows to produce light.
Most individuals responsible for replacing light bulbs in a residential premises have experienced the frustration of trying to remove a broken light bulb from its socket. Particularly in the case of a depressurized bulb, when broken the glass bulb tends to implode catastrophically, shattering virtually any portion of the bulb which is not affixed to the base. If the base is properly screwed into its socket, it is extremely difficult to grip the base sufficiently to dislodge it from the socket. Generally the only remaining portions of the light bulb which projects from the socket are the pinch and lead-in wires, which cannot withstand the pressure of rotating the base to dislodge the base from the socket.
The usual solution is to deactivate the circuit powering the light, and try to grip the metallic base with a needlenose pliers in an effort to rotate the base out of the socket. This can be rather difficult, and dangerous for a number of reasons. There is risk of electrocution if the power has not been properly cut off from the light. Small shards of glass projecting from the base can easily cut the hand of a person attempting to remove the broken light bulb in this fashion, or can fall onto the person during the process. Moreover, the metal of the base is not very thick and is readily deformed, which can result in the base becoming jammed in the socket.